How are my rates determined?
Mt. View Sanitary District (MVSD) uses a process to determine how much to charge for your sewer services and what these charges pay for. Like most government charges, the process MVSD uses to determine how much the charge is “prescribed by Code”. The determination of charges is found in Chapter 7 of the MVSD Code which is available here.

Per the Code, MVSD’s sewer service charges are based on the actual cost of service to collect, convey, treat, and dispose of our customers’ wastewater and to fully fund the construction, repair, rehabilitation, and ultimate replacement of all of the facilities and equipment required to provide these services.

The actual costs of operation and maintenance are allocated to the volume of water processed and the two primary contaminates removed by the treatment facility. These two contaminates are Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Total Suspended Solids (TSS). These three components of the District’s cost of service are used to determine the cost of service for an “equivalent dwelling unit” which establishes the average cost of service for a single family home receiving wastewater services from the District.

We periodically update and conduct rate studies to ensure the rates and fees we charge our customers are equitable for our customers, and adequate to meet future capital improvement needs.  Numerous studies across the United States have shown that it is fair, reasonable and lawful to charge residential users for Wastewater services based upon a flat rate because the differences in usage between one residential customer and another are relatively insignificant when compared to the additional cost to administer and conduct a usage based system. 

The District’s FY23-24 Sewer Service Charge is $888.00 for Residential units per household per year; Multi-Residential units (Apartments and Mobile Homes) is $708.00 per year.  Other approved charges and fees can be found on the District Code page under Chapter 7: Fees, Rates and Charges, Tables 7.1 - 7.3.

Property Tax Postponement

Concerned about your ability to pay your property taxes? The State, through the State Controller’s Office, offers a Property Tax Postponement Program which allows homeowners who are seniors, are blind, or have a disability to defer current-year property taxes on their principal residence if they meet certain criteria including 40 percent equity in the home and an annual household income of $35,500 or less.

For more information and to obtain a Property Tax Postponement , please click here.

For more detailed program information, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions, call toll-free (800) 952-5661, or email postponement@sco.ca.gov.